The city of Brookhaven is home to a notorious but successful crime organization known as the Kulva Family. This organization is run by a group of supernatural humans who all possess various unique abilities that they utilize to aid in their reign of power. While it is not common knowledge that the inner circle is not completely human, many strange and unexplained events follow in the wake of The Family raising suspicions. The Family is based in a neighborhood known as Old Town which started off as a low income neighborhood but has become an economic powerhouse through the involvement of The Family. The government of Brookhaven has been actively fighting a war with The Family with little to show for it. The magic gives the Family an inherent advantage and the local police force finds itself resorting to extreme measures to combat them such as an increased devotion to religion. The citizens of Brookhaven find themselves caught between this seemingly endless crime war as both sides grapple for control and influence throughout the city. Some find themselves in employment of the Family and seek to carve out some financial success for themselves. Others seek to expose and out the Family for what they are suspected to be, seeking the truth for all these strange magical events. Even others simply wish to live their lives in peace, going throughout their daily routine and hoping not to get hit in the crossfire.
Governance
[4] Government Presence
Old Town is a district of Brookhaven that is infamously ruled by The Mafia. This Mafia enforces its own rules on both its members and the citizens that live within its territory. Failure to obey these rules results in harsh punishment. The government of Brookhaven is actively trying to contest this mafia, and shut it down, so the Old Town district features lots of police and governmental presence. This city authority enforces its own rules, causing a clash for power in Old Town’s streets. Citizens of Old Town find themselves stuck with the dilemma of needing to follow two distinct, and very different sets of laws.
The mafia centers its operations in their casino, and maintains a presence in other locations through speakeasies and various business fronts. They run a protection racket in the area, and crack down hard on anyone who tries to commit crimes outside of their own organization. The mafia maintains a monopoly on crime in their territories in order to further their influence with the community.
The government has no police stations or other buildings within Old Town, instead operating from a station just outside. Law enforcement agents keep a presence within the area through patrols, though their presence in the heart of the mafia’s territory is light.
The Mafia also exert their influence heavily into the city government, using bribery, blackmail and their own plants within the system to sow chaos and open up opportunities for the family.
[3] Rule of Law
When you consider the two seperate sets of rules that the citizens of Old Town have to follow, it’s easy to understand that most citizens keep their heads down and try to stay out of trouble. Just about all the inhabitants of Old Town know about the mafia’s sneaky dealings and strange circumstances, so most avoid and sort of dealing if at all possible. However, with the presence of both the mafia and the police being rather high, hard times have fallen on a number of the residents, forcing them to turn to organized crime.
Tradition crime is on the rise in the are, and now that the mafia has been around for 5 to 6 years, people are beginning to get more comfortable with the idea of dealing with them. Plenty of robberies and drug deals happen in the area, solidifying the power this mafia has over the citizens.
The police in the Old Town district have likewise started to exert their presence in an attempt to regain control of the area. The police have started to make arrests and raids on seemingly random households. Claiming connections to the mafia, the police make arrests based more on racists stereotyping than actual fact. Through this fear the police create and through their reassurances that the people they arrest are connected to the mafia, they’ve instilled a fear of breaking the law into most everyday citizens.
[1] Social Services
The government of Brookhaven is known for being incredibly incompetent when it comes to the wellbeing of their citizens. With the major economic crash following the arrival of the Mafia several years ago, the city suffered horrendously. Many businesses and companies collapsed as people left in droves due to the increased crime wave. Now, the city is no longer bankrupt following the Mafia’s increased business expenses and is thriving yet the city still lacks any improvement in terms of education, healthcare and other social services.
Much of the budget was directed to the police force and the war on crime and never diverted back to other systems. The education is incredibly poor with only a couple public schools left all of which are over budget and understaffed. Healthcare is limited to a few free public clinics and a major city hospital. Many people live in lower income areas that are not assisted much by the government and only charity or volunteer organizations exist for the families here.
The Mafia, after their rise to power have begun to expand their reach by aiding those within their sphere of influence. Crime money has been used to fund numerous private schools that are affordable to most citizens. They also established privately owned health service buildings and health insurance services. Although they do not offer services that confront substance abuse for fear of losing regular customers. Their increased spending has also included renovating lower income areas and improving infrastructure. Secret payments and government plants allow their requests to receive priority, leaving other parts of the city to suffer. While the Mafia certainly try to win over hearts and minds of their citizens, they also seek to achieve profit through it. Notably, the social services the mafia provide often come at some cost that is beneficial to The Mafia itself.
Economics
[4] Economic Strength
The Mafia has lots of established businesses, both legal and illegal. Legal ones include storefronts, security, housing, gambling, imports and exports. Nail salons and bars are favorites for lucrative “clean” businesses that double as money laundering hubs. Illegal ones include smuggling, fencing rackets, loan sharking, sex trade, weapons trade, drugs and arcane items. The family has invested a lot into investments all over the city but they are primarily in the neighborhood of Old Town. Through money laundering and legitimate profits, the mafia is a major economic powerhouse for both itself and the city and has brought the city back from the brink of bankruptcy. It’s stable economy and consistent cash flow make the mafia invaluable to the city’s economy. For the Mafia to be removed from the city would cause a major economic crash. To combat this, the government is actively investing in the city, building transportation infrastructure and promoting legitimate businesses in the area. Progress is stalling however, as the mafia attempts to drive out any competitors, and wealth members of the community support the mafia so the can continue to profit over the organizations illegal endeavors.
[1+] Wealth Distribution
The Mafia is the major financial strength in the area. Before, the crime family’s arrival in the city caused many to leave and businesses to falter. This was a major issue for the city and its residents as many businesses failed but overtime as the mafia had grown, it has taken the time to revitalize the city and bring it back up. Now with ever expanding businesses, more and more people can get jobs and the overall standard of living is rising thanks to the Mafia’s business ventures. However much of the city outside of the wealthy districts still live as lower class citizens. While the Mafia certainly aid the citizens with their jobs and investments, they are also not a charity and focus much on their own profits. Some of their biggest income comes from loan sharking and protection rackets that prey upon the lower class. As a result, economic mobility is extremely limited, with the only real opportunity being joining the mafia and trying to stand out from the other hirelings. The city itself has become reliant on the Mafia’s economic strength and can’t afford to aid their own citizens themselves. Meanwhile, the business owners that support the mafia and benefit from the mafias illicit trade have grown even richer, and continue to support the mafia in exploiting the lower classes for profit.
[4] Agriculture/Trade
Much of the Mafia’s major dealings are through trade. They work to import and export legal goods as both a front and a steady cash flow. They also deal in the trade of sex workers, weapons, drugs, vehicles, exotic animals and arcane items. The mafia’s magical elements allow them to be a major provider of magical items such as potions, weapons and creatures. New businesses often get loans or are aided through investments from the Mafia. Even if they don’t the mafia still find a way to get involved either through protection services or scare tactics. Despite this, the Mafia’s terms are often quite fair as they would rather have thriving successful businesses rather than scare off potential entrepreneurs. With more of their wealth leaching into the general public, there are now more people able to buy luxury goods. Fraudulent foods are actually a surprisingly lucrative part of the Mafia’s business. Ground coffee is a popular item, often with leaves, grains and figs mixed in with the coffee grinds. Tea leaves are often mixed with other leaves, colorings and saw dust. Saffron is often faked by mixing turmeric, poppy petals, gypsum and sandalwood dye. Fake saffron is used in some mafia restaurants because in dishes they can add high doses of poppy which makes it highly addictive.
Social Relations/Equality
[2-] Race
Racial tensions in [City] have been on the rise since the [Mafia]’s quiet but complete takeover of the city. With the Mafia’s unnatural ability to evade capture or persecution, law enforcement has become increasingly desperate to find any leads on them. Racial profiling has skyrocketed and minorities face increasing discrimination not just from law enforcement but from their neighbors as well. Police have started to assume, with alarming frequency, that minorities are part of the mafia or will become members of the mafia. Racial profiling has skyrocketed and minorities face increasing discrimination from their neighbors as well, who subconsciously feed off of the police propaganda and unease.
In response to the growing tensions between Police and racial minorities in the city, some feel that the only way to protect themselves from unwarranted attacks by the Police is to join the Family itself. This fuels the vicious circle that leads to more conflict between the Police and racial minorities in the city.
[4] Class
Classism for the most part isn’t too much of an issue. There are certainly divides between economic classes but more wealth from the mafia has started to bridge the gap a bit. Lower classes still face discrimination, in the streets or at work, but this is largely due to the widespread belief that all lower class people must be in/helping the mafia.
In a way the standing between the rich and the poor can be described as a cold war. The poor cannot go into the richer areas of the city for fear of being profiled by the ever present police patrols. The wealthy cannot go into the poorer areas of the city for fear of being targeted by the more resentful poor or by the Mafia, who see the rich as quick and easy sources of always needed cash.
[5-] Gender
Gender equality within the mafia is incredibly high. With a hierarchy based on merit, women hold their weight and power just as much as the men. They are not restricted to any job, serving as some of the most successful brokers, bouncers and hitmen. The Boss’s daughters and nieces are some of the most feared and respected members of the mafia, ahead of some of their brothers. However, with more humans joining the Family, human gender tensions have started to affect the workplace. Many new recruits are quick to dismiss women superiors until, often physically, shown their place. It has become so common to doubt their ability that even some of the senior officers have started to make off-handed comments about whether [Name-redacted] or [Name-redacted] is fit for the job.
Despite the high level of Gender Equality in the city itself, the presence of the Family and the chauvinism they inspire has led to a slight uptick in the number of reported cases of sexual harassment. In cases where the harasee is a member of the Family it isn’t uncommon for the harasser to later be targeted by robbers and burglars.
Powerful women in positions of responsibility within the City now consistently find themselves having to reassert their authority over less qualified men during discussions of policy
[2] Sexual Orientation
The mafia is built upon the ideals of the standard nuclear family. The Family is run by the Boss, his most trusted associates, and blood relatives. Whether this veneration of family is grounded in religion has been highly debated by human members and civilians alike. The humans have assumed that because the Boss values family so much they must support the traditional family. As a result tensions against the human LGBTQ community have risen in recent years as humans try to conform to what they assume are the mafia’s values. Even civilians, concerned with offending the family, have gotten involved. Most human members of the mafia have taken to keeping their identity a secret, out of fear of how the rest of the family will react.
As a result of the of the social conservatism that the presence of the Family has brought into the city, all attempts at social reform along lines of equality for people of different sexualities have ground to a halt. Several parades and rallies held by activists promoting change have been disrupted by the presence of affiliates of the Family as well as counter protesters dressed in solidarity with the Family.
Several politicians who have attempted to run for city council have had their campaigns sabotaged when information leaked about their sexuality.
Cultural Influences
[5] Military
The conflicts between MAFIA and LAW ENFORCEMENT in LOCATION are a consistent fact of life. During the day time, LOCATION is under the watchful eye of law enforcement but as the sun sets MAFIA slink from the shadows and begin work. Going out during the dusk and dawn hours are a risky proposition as ordinary citizens risk being caught in the crossfire of shootouts that pop up at the various fault lines that divide bastions of LAW ENFORCEMENT from the safe houses of the MAFIA.
Despite the almost nightly firefights it is exceedingly rare for anyone to be killed or captured. Despite the best efforts of the LAW ENFORCEMENT officials, high ranking MAFIA members have consistently eluded capture for the past 60 years.
Luck consistently seems to be against LAW ENFORCEMENT and if anything can go wrong, it more than often will. Officers have taken note of the tendency for their tools to fail them at the worst possible moment and have sworn off complicated hi-tech modern firearms and gadgets in exchange for the older tools of the trade. Single and double action revolvers have become popular with the average cop on the beat, and the old police cruisers of decades past have been replaced by fleets of heavily modified trucks and SUVs, all outfitted with redundant systems.
In response to the recent advances made by LAW ENFORCEMENT, MAFIA have become less willing to stay and fight, vanishing in ways that seem impossible. More than one perplexed officer has chased down a member only to find an empty dead end, or a recently constructed brick wall.
[2+] Religion
Since the mafia’s rise to power, religion has been very limited in Brookhaven. Recent years, however, have seen a resurgence in religious beliefs, as people turn to belief in a higher power in the face of increasing violence in the city. This has begun to drive a wedge in the community between the increasingly religious and the more agnostic or atheist population, who are further influenced by the mafia, which discourages religion within its own ranks.
Among the groups turning to religion is the law enforcement operating in the area. Their constant skirmishes with mafia enforcers and the unexplained weirdness the encounter in their pursuits have caused many of their members to turn to faith for explanations and inspiration. Many have taken to wearing religious symbols as jewelry, and others still have gone further, having their gear blessed for what they view as divine protection, and act that has become more popular as rumors begin to spread that people who do so find their aim a little sharper or their luck a touch more fortunate.
In the mafia the creatures that make up its upper echelon are a source of mystery to those who don’t know the truth of them. Stories of people who appear where they couldn’t possibly be or who defy the laws of reality have spread throughout the community. While most dismiss the rumors, those who see such things first hand or deal with the mafia regularly have developed a sort of mysticism based around these happenings.
[3=] Technology
Technology is at a modern level, most citizens carry smartphones and other electronic devices. Usage of technology and the influence of the internet is highly widespread. The influence of magical items has certainly been noted as the Mafia utilize it in combination with modern technology. They modify their weapons to fire magically infused projectiles. In addition to regular bullets they are modified to utilize elemental effects or they seek targets around corners. Their vehicles have been modified to vanish from cameras or cause interference with communication systems. This technology fails to operate when captured and causes issues when others attempt to reverse engineer it due to it requiring magical influence to operate. This also means the technology is not sold to outsiders and is primarily given to higher members of the family. While the effects are not major, they are enough to cause havoc with law enforcement.
[3+] Arts/Culture
Consumption of the arts have grown in recent decades. More available wealth has led to more plays, concerts, art galleries and museums opening around the city. The Mafia in particular has shown tremendous support for the arts, sponsoring up-and-coming painters, actors and musicians. Not only funding their career but promoting their events to Family members. Law enforcement has noticed the unusual trend. Ametaur artists are suddenly selling paintings for millions of dollars. New orchestras are selling out shows and student art gallery exhibitions are packed to capacity. So far they haven’t been able to prove any mafia involvement, the artists themselves are just as ignorant to their sponsors identities, or the purpose of the investments. For the most part, the Family simply enjoys art. They enjoy going out to concerts or plays and they respect the rawness of new talent as opposed to the dry if talented performances of veterans. If law enforcement wastes resources and sleep trying to unravel a conspiracy that doesn’t exists, well that’s a win-win. Why waste money and time crafting something to throw the police off their trail when the police will do it for them? All they have to do is continue to spend their free time as they always have.
[2=] Magic
Magical influence is what powers the Mafia’s success. The upper management of the family is a combination of unique humans who possess a variety of different abilities. Their usage of magic permeates into every aspect of their organization. They produce potions and magical objects that can be traded as well as modifying their weapons and vehicles to be superior to the law enforcement. Their drugs and substances are also infused with magical properties increasing their potency and addictiveness. This usage of magical abilities gives the Mafia an upper hand over other crime organizations and any attempts of shutdown by the law enforcement.
Table of Contents
Intro
The city of Brookhaven is home to a notorious but successful crime organization known as the Kulva Family. This organization is run by a group of supernatural humans who all possess various unique abilities that they utilize to aid in their reign of power. While it is not common knowledge that the inner circle is not completely human, many strange and unexplained events follow in the wake of The Family raising suspicions. The Family is based in a neighborhood known as Old Town which started off as a low income neighborhood but has become an economic powerhouse through the involvement of The Family. The government of Brookhaven has been actively fighting a war with The Family with little to show for it. The magic gives the Family an inherent advantage and the local police force finds itself resorting to extreme measures to combat them such as an increased devotion to religion. The citizens of Brookhaven find themselves caught between this seemingly endless crime war as both sides grapple for control and influence throughout the city. Some find themselves in employment of the Family and seek to carve out some financial success for themselves. Others seek to expose and out the Family for what they are suspected to be, seeking the truth for all these strange magical events. Even others simply wish to live their lives in peace, going throughout their daily routine and hoping not to get hit in the crossfire.Governance
[4] Government Presence
Old Town is a district of Brookhaven that is infamously ruled by The Mafia. This Mafia enforces its own rules on both its members and the citizens that live within its territory. Failure to obey these rules results in harsh punishment. The government of Brookhaven is actively trying to contest this mafia, and shut it down, so the Old Town district features lots of police and governmental presence. This city authority enforces its own rules, causing a clash for power in Old Town’s streets. Citizens of Old Town find themselves stuck with the dilemma of needing to follow two distinct, and very different sets of laws.
The mafia centers its operations in their casino, and maintains a presence in other locations through speakeasies and various business fronts. They run a protection racket in the area, and crack down hard on anyone who tries to commit crimes outside of their own organization. The mafia maintains a monopoly on crime in their territories in order to further their influence with the community.
The government has no police stations or other buildings within Old Town, instead operating from a station just outside. Law enforcement agents keep a presence within the area through patrols, though their presence in the heart of the mafia’s territory is light.
The Mafia also exert their influence heavily into the city government, using bribery, blackmail and their own plants within the system to sow chaos and open up opportunities for the family.
[3] Rule of Law
When you consider the two seperate sets of rules that the citizens of Old Town have to follow, it’s easy to understand that most citizens keep their heads down and try to stay out of trouble. Just about all the inhabitants of Old Town know about the mafia’s sneaky dealings and strange circumstances, so most avoid and sort of dealing if at all possible. However, with the presence of both the mafia and the police being rather high, hard times have fallen on a number of the residents, forcing them to turn to organized crime.
Tradition crime is on the rise in the are, and now that the mafia has been around for 5 to 6 years, people are beginning to get more comfortable with the idea of dealing with them. Plenty of robberies and drug deals happen in the area, solidifying the power this mafia has over the citizens.
The police in the Old Town district have likewise started to exert their presence in an attempt to regain control of the area. The police have started to make arrests and raids on seemingly random households. Claiming connections to the mafia, the police make arrests based more on racists stereotyping than actual fact. Through this fear the police create and through their reassurances that the people they arrest are connected to the mafia, they’ve instilled a fear of breaking the law into most everyday citizens.
[1] Social Services
The government of Brookhaven is known for being incredibly incompetent when it comes to the wellbeing of their citizens. With the major economic crash following the arrival of the Mafia several years ago, the city suffered horrendously. Many businesses and companies collapsed as people left in droves due to the increased crime wave. Now, the city is no longer bankrupt following the Mafia’s increased business expenses and is thriving yet the city still lacks any improvement in terms of education, healthcare and other social services.
Much of the budget was directed to the police force and the war on crime and never diverted back to other systems. The education is incredibly poor with only a couple public schools left all of which are over budget and understaffed. Healthcare is limited to a few free public clinics and a major city hospital. Many people live in lower income areas that are not assisted much by the government and only charity or volunteer organizations exist for the families here.
The Mafia, after their rise to power have begun to expand their reach by aiding those within their sphere of influence. Crime money has been used to fund numerous private schools that are affordable to most citizens. They also established privately owned health service buildings and health insurance services. Although they do not offer services that confront substance abuse for fear of losing regular customers. Their increased spending has also included renovating lower income areas and improving infrastructure. Secret payments and government plants allow their requests to receive priority, leaving other parts of the city to suffer. While the Mafia certainly try to win over hearts and minds of their citizens, they also seek to achieve profit through it. Notably, the social services the mafia provide often come at some cost that is beneficial to The Mafia itself.
Economics
[4] Economic Strength
The Mafia has lots of established businesses, both legal and illegal. Legal ones include storefronts, security, housing, gambling, imports and exports. Nail salons and bars are favorites for lucrative “clean” businesses that double as money laundering hubs. Illegal ones include smuggling, fencing rackets, loan sharking, sex trade, weapons trade, drugs and arcane items. The family has invested a lot into investments all over the city but they are primarily in the neighborhood of Old Town. Through money laundering and legitimate profits, the mafia is a major economic powerhouse for both itself and the city and has brought the city back from the brink of bankruptcy. It’s stable economy and consistent cash flow make the mafia invaluable to the city’s economy. For the Mafia to be removed from the city would cause a major economic crash. To combat this, the government is actively investing in the city, building transportation infrastructure and promoting legitimate businesses in the area. Progress is stalling however, as the mafia attempts to drive out any competitors, and wealth members of the community support the mafia so the can continue to profit over the organizations illegal endeavors.[1+] Wealth Distribution
The Mafia is the major financial strength in the area. Before, the crime family’s arrival in the city caused many to leave and businesses to falter. This was a major issue for the city and its residents as many businesses failed but overtime as the mafia had grown, it has taken the time to revitalize the city and bring it back up. Now with ever expanding businesses, more and more people can get jobs and the overall standard of living is rising thanks to the Mafia’s business ventures. However much of the city outside of the wealthy districts still live as lower class citizens. While the Mafia certainly aid the citizens with their jobs and investments, they are also not a charity and focus much on their own profits. Some of their biggest income comes from loan sharking and protection rackets that prey upon the lower class. As a result, economic mobility is extremely limited, with the only real opportunity being joining the mafia and trying to stand out from the other hirelings. The city itself has become reliant on the Mafia’s economic strength and can’t afford to aid their own citizens themselves. Meanwhile, the business owners that support the mafia and benefit from the mafias illicit trade have grown even richer, and continue to support the mafia in exploiting the lower classes for profit.[4] Agriculture/Trade
Much of the Mafia’s major dealings are through trade. They work to import and export legal goods as both a front and a steady cash flow. They also deal in the trade of sex workers, weapons, drugs, vehicles, exotic animals and arcane items. The mafia’s magical elements allow them to be a major provider of magical items such as potions, weapons and creatures. New businesses often get loans or are aided through investments from the Mafia. Even if they don’t the mafia still find a way to get involved either through protection services or scare tactics. Despite this, the Mafia’s terms are often quite fair as they would rather have thriving successful businesses rather than scare off potential entrepreneurs. With more of their wealth leaching into the general public, there are now more people able to buy luxury goods. Fraudulent foods are actually a surprisingly lucrative part of the Mafia’s business. Ground coffee is a popular item, often with leaves, grains and figs mixed in with the coffee grinds. Tea leaves are often mixed with other leaves, colorings and saw dust. Saffron is often faked by mixing turmeric, poppy petals, gypsum and sandalwood dye. Fake saffron is used in some mafia restaurants because in dishes they can add high doses of poppy which makes it highly addictive.Social Relations/Equality
[2-] Race
Racial tensions in [City] have been on the rise since the [Mafia]’s quiet but complete takeover of the city. With the Mafia’s unnatural ability to evade capture or persecution, law enforcement has become increasingly desperate to find any leads on them. Racial profiling has skyrocketed and minorities face increasing discrimination not just from law enforcement but from their neighbors as well. Police have started to assume, with alarming frequency, that minorities are part of the mafia or will become members of the mafia. Racial profiling has skyrocketed and minorities face increasing discrimination from their neighbors as well, who subconsciously feed off of the police propaganda and unease.
In response to the growing tensions between Police and racial minorities in the city, some feel that the only way to protect themselves from unwarranted attacks by the Police is to join the Family itself. This fuels the vicious circle that leads to more conflict between the Police and racial minorities in the city.
[4] Class
Classism for the most part isn’t too much of an issue. There are certainly divides between economic classes but more wealth from the mafia has started to bridge the gap a bit. Lower classes still face discrimination, in the streets or at work, but this is largely due to the widespread belief that all lower class people must be in/helping the mafia.
In a way the standing between the rich and the poor can be described as a cold war. The poor cannot go into the richer areas of the city for fear of being profiled by the ever present police patrols. The wealthy cannot go into the poorer areas of the city for fear of being targeted by the more resentful poor or by the Mafia, who see the rich as quick and easy sources of always needed cash.
[5-] Gender
Gender equality within the mafia is incredibly high. With a hierarchy based on merit, women hold their weight and power just as much as the men. They are not restricted to any job, serving as some of the most successful brokers, bouncers and hitmen. The Boss’s daughters and nieces are some of the most feared and respected members of the mafia, ahead of some of their brothers. However, with more humans joining the Family, human gender tensions have started to affect the workplace. Many new recruits are quick to dismiss women superiors until, often physically, shown their place. It has become so common to doubt their ability that even some of the senior officers have started to make off-handed comments about whether [Name-redacted] or [Name-redacted] is fit for the job.
Despite the high level of Gender Equality in the city itself, the presence of the Family and the chauvinism they inspire has led to a slight uptick in the number of reported cases of sexual harassment. In cases where the harasee is a member of the Family it isn’t uncommon for the harasser to later be targeted by robbers and burglars.
Powerful women in positions of responsibility within the City now consistently find themselves having to reassert their authority over less qualified men during discussions of policy
[2] Sexual Orientation
The mafia is built upon the ideals of the standard nuclear family. The Family is run by the Boss, his most trusted associates, and blood relatives. Whether this veneration of family is grounded in religion has been highly debated by human members and civilians alike. The humans have assumed that because the Boss values family so much they must support the traditional family. As a result tensions against the human LGBTQ community have risen in recent years as humans try to conform to what they assume are the mafia’s values. Even civilians, concerned with offending the family, have gotten involved. Most human members of the mafia have taken to keeping their identity a secret, out of fear of how the rest of the family will react.
As a result of the of the social conservatism that the presence of the Family has brought into the city, all attempts at social reform along lines of equality for people of different sexualities have ground to a halt. Several parades and rallies held by activists promoting change have been disrupted by the presence of affiliates of the Family as well as counter protesters dressed in solidarity with the Family.
Several politicians who have attempted to run for city council have had their campaigns sabotaged when information leaked about their sexuality.
Cultural Influences
[5] Military
The conflicts between MAFIA and LAW ENFORCEMENT in LOCATION are a consistent fact of life. During the day time, LOCATION is under the watchful eye of law enforcement but as the sun sets MAFIA slink from the shadows and begin work. Going out during the dusk and dawn hours are a risky proposition as ordinary citizens risk being caught in the crossfire of shootouts that pop up at the various fault lines that divide bastions of LAW ENFORCEMENT from the safe houses of the MAFIA.Despite the almost nightly firefights it is exceedingly rare for anyone to be killed or captured. Despite the best efforts of the LAW ENFORCEMENT officials, high ranking MAFIA members have consistently eluded capture for the past 60 years.
Luck consistently seems to be against LAW ENFORCEMENT and if anything can go wrong, it more than often will. Officers have taken note of the tendency for their tools to fail them at the worst possible moment and have sworn off complicated hi-tech modern firearms and gadgets in exchange for the older tools of the trade. Single and double action revolvers have become popular with the average cop on the beat, and the old police cruisers of decades past have been replaced by fleets of heavily modified trucks and SUVs, all outfitted with redundant systems.
In response to the recent advances made by LAW ENFORCEMENT, MAFIA have become less willing to stay and fight, vanishing in ways that seem impossible. More than one perplexed officer has chased down a member only to find an empty dead end, or a recently constructed brick wall.
[2+] Religion
Since the mafia’s rise to power, religion has been very limited in Brookhaven. Recent years, however, have seen a resurgence in religious beliefs, as people turn to belief in a higher power in the face of increasing violence in the city. This has begun to drive a wedge in the community between the increasingly religious and the more agnostic or atheist population, who are further influenced by the mafia, which discourages religion within its own ranks.
Among the groups turning to religion is the law enforcement operating in the area. Their constant skirmishes with mafia enforcers and the unexplained weirdness the encounter in their pursuits have caused many of their members to turn to faith for explanations and inspiration. Many have taken to wearing religious symbols as jewelry, and others still have gone further, having their gear blessed for what they view as divine protection, and act that has become more popular as rumors begin to spread that people who do so find their aim a little sharper or their luck a touch more fortunate.
In the mafia the creatures that make up its upper echelon are a source of mystery to those who don’t know the truth of them. Stories of people who appear where they couldn’t possibly be or who defy the laws of reality have spread throughout the community. While most dismiss the rumors, those who see such things first hand or deal with the mafia regularly have developed a sort of mysticism based around these happenings.
[3=] Technology
Technology is at a modern level, most citizens carry smartphones and other electronic devices. Usage of technology and the influence of the internet is highly widespread. The influence of magical items has certainly been noted as the Mafia utilize it in combination with modern technology. They modify their weapons to fire magically infused projectiles. In addition to regular bullets they are modified to utilize elemental effects or they seek targets around corners. Their vehicles have been modified to vanish from cameras or cause interference with communication systems. This technology fails to operate when captured and causes issues when others attempt to reverse engineer it due to it requiring magical influence to operate. This also means the technology is not sold to outsiders and is primarily given to higher members of the family. While the effects are not major, they are enough to cause havoc with law enforcement.[3+] Arts/Culture
Consumption of the arts have grown in recent decades. More available wealth has led to more plays, concerts, art galleries and museums opening around the city. The Mafia in particular has shown tremendous support for the arts, sponsoring up-and-coming painters, actors and musicians. Not only funding their career but promoting their events to Family members. Law enforcement has noticed the unusual trend. Ametaur artists are suddenly selling paintings for millions of dollars. New orchestras are selling out shows and student art gallery exhibitions are packed to capacity. So far they haven’t been able to prove any mafia involvement, the artists themselves are just as ignorant to their sponsors identities, or the purpose of the investments. For the most part, the Family simply enjoys art. They enjoy going out to concerts or plays and they respect the rawness of new talent as opposed to the dry if talented performances of veterans. If law enforcement wastes resources and sleep trying to unravel a conspiracy that doesn’t exists, well that’s a win-win. Why waste money and time crafting something to throw the police off their trail when the police will do it for them? All they have to do is continue to spend their free time as they always have.[2=] Magic
Magical influence is what powers the Mafia’s success. The upper management of the family is a combination of unique humans who possess a variety of different abilities. Their usage of magic permeates into every aspect of their organization. They produce potions and magical objects that can be traded as well as modifying their weapons and vehicles to be superior to the law enforcement. Their drugs and substances are also infused with magical properties increasing their potency and addictiveness. This usage of magical abilities gives the Mafia an upper hand over other crime organizations and any attempts of shutdown by the law enforcement.
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